By Corey Kane
BU News Service

WASHINGTON—Rep.-elect Joe Kennedy III raised a total of $4.1 million in 2012 in his bid to replace retiring Rep.Barney Frank in Massachusetts’ 4th District – the most raised by any New England House campaign this year, according to newly filed reports with the Federal Election Commission.

The campaign of Kennedy, a Democrat, reported raising just over $187,000 in the period from Oct. 18 — nearly three weeks prior to the Nov. 6 election – through Nov. 26, according to the latest FEC filing. The campaign reported spending nearly $865,000 during this period, but still finished the campaign with almost $465,000 in the bank — giving Kennedy a big head start on the 2013-2014 election cycle.

Kennedy, son of former Rep. Joseph Kennedy II, D-Mass., and a grandson of the late Sen. Robert Kennedy, D-N.Y., raised $1 million more than any other House candidate from New England this year. In second place was New Hampshire Democrat Ann McLane Kuster, who took in $3.1 million. Kuster won her race in that state’s 2nd District by ousting Republican Rep. Charles Bass.

Throughout the election cycle, Kennedy’s Republican opponent, Sean Bielat, raised a little over $1 million, or about a quarter of what the Kennedy campaign took in.

Bielat did outraise Kennedy for the period from Oct. 18 through Nov. 26, netting almost $198,000. Bielat’s campaign spent just over $282,000 during this period, with only about $7,000 left on hand.

Kennedy defeated Bielat on Nov. 6 by a 64-34 percent margin.

Spending by outside independent expenditure groups, such as so-called “Super PACs,” played no role in the Kennedy-Bielat contest, despite the record level of involvement by such groups nationwide.

Only one outside expenditure of $10,000 was reported in the 4th District – and that was to oppose Democrat Frank prior to his announcement that he would retire after more than 30 years in Congress. Bielat also took on Frank in 2010, falling short by a 54-43 percent margin.